Family sues over botched burial

TRENTON — It took two graveside services to bury 63-year-old Trenton resident Charles “Heavy” Mungro, who died May 3 after a battle with cancer, and now his relatives are suing everyone involved in his “botched burial” in Ewing Cemetery.

Mungro’s “desecrated body ” was finally laid to rest in Pennsylvania’s Stroudsburg Cemetery several days after his first burial service on May 10 was aborted due to a defective casket, vault and equipment at the Ewing graveyard on Scotch Road.

Three or more generations of his family had assembled for the final farewell. But instead of closure and comfort, the mourners left with physical and psychological injuries, “extreme outrage, genuine and serious mental distress” after witnessing the defendants engage in “wantonly malicious conduct” to cause the intentional and reckless desecration of human remains, according to a lawsuit.

Named as defendants, individually and collectively, in the lawsuit filed June 21 in state Superior Court are the Campbell Funeral Chapel in Trenton, Ewing Cemetery and Ewing Cemetery Association Inc., and Batesville Casket Co. and its parent company, Hillenbrand Inc., in Indiana.

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The complaint also lists 1-4 Richard Roes, who were working or employed by the co-defendants, 1-4 John Does unidentified as independent contractors, and 1-4 Jane Does involved in unspecified ways.

Krekor Mazmanian, the family’s Ewing-based attorney, in his 46-count complaint cites a “botched burial” in which the defendants “negligently implemented and attempted to use a defective and/or broken casket which failed ... causing severe trauma to and destruction of Mr. Mungro’s remains” during his May 10 burial ceremony at the Ewing Cemetery.

The lawsuit alleges the defendants breached their contractual obligations and seeks a jury trial, compensatory and punitive damages, reasonable attorney’s fees and costs of suit, and such relief as the court may deem equitable and just.

According to the complaint, the defendants allegedly used a defective or broken casket and vault, which resulted in damage to Mungro’s body, they were grossly negligent and failed to provide supportive care to the plaintiffs after they sustained emotional and physical injuries at the burial site.

The defendants also failed to conduct a reasonable inspection of the premises and equipment ...to uncover hidden dangers, failed to warn plaintiffs of hazardous conditions, and failed to rescue plaintiff(s) who fell into peril on the cemetery property, the complaint states.

The plaintiffs were left to suffer physical and mental pain, medical and psychological expenses, and will continue to suffer such compensatory damages in the future.

None of the defendants would comment about their roles in this case. The family also declined comment.

A woman who answered the phone at Ewing Cemetery on Friday, and identified herself as the “president” of Ewing Cemetery Association, Inc., said the cemetery superintendent who was in charge in May “left” and a new superintendent started “this week.” Asked for her name, and the names of the former and current superintendents, she replied,”I don’t want to give it out. We have no comment.”

John Campbell, funeral director and owner of Campbell Funeral Chapel on Calhoun Street, who handled the embalming and provided the casket and vault, transportation and other services for the Mungro funeral, said “I’m not at liberty to talk about this.”

In Indiana, attorney Tabitha Meier, who works in the legal department for Hillenbrand Inc. and its subsidiary, Batesville Casket Co., said she was “not aware of any lawsuit. As a policy, we do not comment on pending litigation.”